Canna plant named ‘Orange Chocolate’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Canna  plant named ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ that is characterized by dwarf habit, olive green to purple brown foliage, and bright orange flowers which are open faced and attractively arranged within the inflorescence. In combination these traits set ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ apart from all other varieties of  Canna  known to the inventor.

Genus: CANNA.

Species: ×generalis.

Denomination: ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/270,789 filed on Jul. 14, 2009, entitled Canna Plant Named ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’.

This application is co-pending with the application of same filing date for the inventor'variety of Canna plant named ‘CHOCOLATE SUNRISE’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/803,914).

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Canna, also known as Canna Lily or Indian Shot, which is grown as an ornamental annual or perennial, according to climate zone, for use in planted containers and in the garden and landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Canna×generalis, and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’.

The inventor has carried out a Canna breeding program at the inventor's nursery in Kibbutz Saad, Israel since 2005. The breeding program is aimed at producing new varieties of Canna with useful commercial characteristics: primarily new varieties which exhibit a dwarf habit with colorful foliage and bearing well-presented flowers. ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ arose and was selected by the inventor in 2006 as an open pollinated seedling whose male parent is unknown and whose female parent is Canna ‘Wine and Roses’ (unpatented). The inventor used this same parentage to develop the inventor's co-pending variety ‘CHOCOLATE SUNRISE’. Both co-pending varieties exhibit almost identical habit and foliage color. However, the flowers of ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ are bright orange in color, whereas the flowers of ‘CHOCOLATE SUNRISE’ are deep yellow in color.

‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ was first asexually reproduced by the inventor in Kibbutz Saad, Israel in 2006. Asexual propagation was accomplished by division of the rhizome. Since that time, under careful observation, the distinguishing characteristics of ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ have been determined stable and uniform, and to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.

The variety of Canna which is considered by the inventor to most closely resemble ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ is the parent plant, Canna ‘Wine and Roses’. ‘Wine and Roses’ and ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ both exhibit dark olive green to purple brown colored foliage. However, the flowers of ‘Wine and Roses’ are rose pink in color whereas the flowers of ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ are bright orange in color.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The distinguishing characteristics of ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ are as follows: In combination these traits set ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ apart from all other existing varieties of CANNA known to the inventor. ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ has not been tested under all possible conditions and phenotypic differences may be observed with variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions.

-   -   1. ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ grows and remains short in height.     -   2. After one year of growth, a plant of ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’         achieves a height of approximately 75 cm-120 cm and a spread of         50 cm-70 cm.     -   3. ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ bears bright orange flowers.     -   4. The flowers of ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ are open faced and         attractively arranged within the inflorescence.     -   5. The foliage of ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ is dark olive green to         purple brown in color.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color drawing illustrates the overall appearance of ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ showing the color of the inflorescence and the foliage as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The drawing labeled as FIG. 1 depicts a one year old plant of ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ growing in a greenhouse in Kibbutz Saad, Israel.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following botanical description, all color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

The plants used for this botanical description were grown from rhizomes which the inventor shipped from his nursery at Kibbutz Saad, Israel to Santa Barbara, Calif. The rhizomes were planted in the ground in August 2010. The observed plants were twelve months of age.

-   Botanical classification: CANNA×generalis ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’. -   Parentage: Open pollination between unknown male parent and Canna     ‘Wine and Roses’ as female parent. -   Propagation: By division of field-grown rhizomes or by division of     tissue cultured plants. -   Cultural suggestions: In common with Cannas generally, ‘ORANGE     CHOCOLATE’ is evergreen in warm climates, but will die back as     winter approaches in cool climates. Rhizomes may be mulched to     protect from light frost but should be lifted and stored if the     ground is liable to freeze below the surface. -   Hardiness: ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ is evergreen in USDA Zone 8. -   Heat tolerance: Plants grow and flower rapidly in sunny positions     but benefit from light shade from extreme heat. -   Pest and disease resistance or susceptibility: ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’     has not been found to be more or less resistant or susceptible to     the pests and diseases which affect the genus and its cultivars. -   Plant form: Upright, very compact with very short multiple stems. -   Rhizome description: Thick, fibrous, 3 cm-5 cm in diameter, with     papery scales which are light brown 166C in color when first     forming, becoming dark brown 200B as they age and peel away from the     rhizome whose revealed surface is smooth, cream 11D. -   Plant height after one year: 75-120 cm (including inflorescence). -   Plant spread: 50 cm-70 cm. -   Stem (each basal shoot):     -   -   Length.—45 cm.         -   Diameter.—1.5 cm.         -   Internode length.—12 cm (measured between soil level and             first node). Peduncle begins at first above-ground node.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—195A. -   Foliage:     -   -   Leaves simple, entire, sessile.—         -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Leaf length.—35 cm.         -   Leaf diameter.—17 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Luster.—Upper surface dull, lower surface semi-glossy.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Venation color (upper).—59A.         -   Venation color (lower).—59A.         -   Leaf color (upper surface).—Ranges between N79A and N187A.         -   Leaf color (lower surface).—147A, becoming N186 when fully             expanded. -   Petioles:     -   -   Arrangement.—Sheathing.         -   Length.—13 cm-17 cm.         -   Texture.—Glabrous, ribbed.         -   Color, upper surface.—183C.         -   Color, lower surface.—187A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Panicle height.—24 cm-30 cm.         -   Inflorescence number per lateral branch.—One.         -   Typical and observed number of flowers per             inflorescence.—25-30.         -   Typical and observed number of inflorescences per plant.—4.         -   Form.—Terminal raceme with single flower opening first             followed by the formation and flowering of secondary             racemes. The flowers in secondary are borne in pairs on             short pedicels. Each flower or pair of flowers is subtended             by a single bract.         -   Natural flowering season.—Summer months. -   Flower:     -   -   Flower longevity on the plant.—2 to 3 days.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Flower height.—5.5 cm.         -   Flower width.—8 cm-9 cm.         -   Buds.—Length: 4.5 cm. Diameter: 0.8 cm. Shape: Ellipsoid.             Color: 176C.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: 3 each, arranged in a whorl, fused at             base. Length: 4.5 cm-5.0 cm. Width: 1.2 cm. Shape: Long,             elliptical. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous.         -   Color outer surface, 34B, inner surface, 24A with many             parallel veins, 34B.—         -   Sepals.—Shape: Obovate. Margin: Entire. Arrangement: 3 each,             arranged in a whorl, fused at base. Length: 18 mm-22 mm.             Width: 10 cm. Apex: Acute. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Glabrous. Color, both surfaces: 152D, 59D towards             margins.         -   Peduncle.—Length: 12 cm. Diameter: 1.0 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Glabrous. Color: 200D.         -   Pedicels.—Length: 0.8 cm. Diameter: 0.4 cm. Texture:             Glabrous. Color: N144D.         -   Bracts.—Bract number: One, sheathing the base of the             outer-facing sepals. Bract shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded.             Margin: Entire. Base: Truncate. Arrangement: Subtending each             flower. Length: 4 cm. Width: 2.5 cm. Texture: Glabrous,             ribbed. Color, upper surface: 64D with parallel veins, 182B.             Color, lower surface: 165D with margins, 182B.         -   Staminodes.—Modified stamens, comprising the showy part of             the flower, (sterile petaloids). Quantity: 4, including             labellum (described separately below). Staminode apex:             Rounded, emarginated with notch to 5 mm. Margin: Entire,             undulating. Base: Hastate. Length: 7.0 cm-8.0 cm. Width: 6.0             cm-6.5 cm. Shape: Spatulate. Color (both surfaces): N30B             except basal band (1.0 cm-1.5 cm) 16B.         -   Labellum (lower staminode).—Labellum number: 1. Shape:             Spatulate. Length: 8 cm. Width: 5 cm. Apex: Emarginate;             notch up to 5 mm in depth. Margin: Entire. Base: Sheathing,             truncate. Labellum surface color (both surfaces): N30B with             darker orange-red 44B longitudinal streaks more closely             packed towards base.         -   Reproductive organs.—         -   Petaloid stamen.—One. Shape: Falcate. Dimensions: Length 6             cm-7 cm, width 1.5 cm. Apex: Truncate. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture (both surfaces): Smooth. Color (both             surfaces): 23A.         -   Anther absent or (if present) fused to inward curved margin.             Where present.—Shape: Rectangular. Dimensions: Length 10 mm,             width 2 mm. Color: (at dehiscence): 197D with two dark ribs             199C.         -   Pollen.—Amount: Moderate. Color: 4C.         -   Petaloid style.—One. Shape: Elongated spatulate.         -   Dimensions.—Length: 5 cm; width; 2 mm at base, widening to 5             mm at widest point then 3 mm at apex. Apex: Truncate. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture (both surfaces): Smooth,             shiny. Color (both surfaces): 17B.         -   Stigma.—One, located at tip of petaloid style, flattened,             round, diameter 2-5 mm. Color: Translucent 11C.         -   Ovary.—Color N144D.         -   Seed.—Fertilization has not occurred in any of the observed             plants. Ovules remain undeveloped. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Canna plant named ‘ORANGE CHOCOLATE’ as described and illustrated herein. 